The death of betting shops in Bremen: Will there soon be no more betting shops?

It is not just the online gambling industry that is facing a tough time in this country. The bricks and mortar gambling industry is also struggling to cope with increasingly stringent legislation. In Bremen, for example, new distance regulations for betting shops and casinos came into force a few days ago. The death of betting shops in the city is therefore likely to continue.

Just a few days ago, GambleJoe reported on a decision by the Berlin Administrative Court. This was about the fact that a minimum distance of 500 metres between betting shops and gambling halls is legal. On 1 July, new rules for gambling halls and betting shops also came into force in the Hanseatic city of Bremen. From now on, these establishments must keep a minimum distance of 500 metres from each other and the same distance from schools. The problem is that many operators have not yet received official notices from the city, so they do not yet know whether they will have to close their betting shops and casinos or not.

Will there soon be no more betting shops and gambling halls in Bremen?

Since the new State Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV) came into force, conditions have not only deteriorated for the online gambling industry. Brick-and-mortar gambling establishments have also had to contend with stricter legal requirements. In Bremen, for example, a new minimum distance of 500 metres has been in force for almost a month.

Considering that the city of Bremen is only 38 kilometres long and 16 kilometres wide, you don't have to be a mathematical genius to work out that very few gambling establishments will be allowed in the city in the future. Especially when you consider that there are currently 162 general education schools and 23 vocational schools in Bremen and Bremerhaven (source: bildung.bremen.de, as of 2015).

If the minimum distance between each of these educational institutions and a betting shop or casino has to be guaranteed as well, then the death of betting shops is likely to progress very quickly in the coming months.

From July 2023, Bremen will have even stricter player protection rules

In addition to the controversial minimum distance, a new minimum age will also apply from 1 July 2023. Visitors must now be at least 21 years old to enter betting shops or casinos in the Hanseatic city. In addition, operators will no longer be allowed to serve food and drink in gambling halls. Incidentally, in July last year we reported on a robbery in Bremen in which a casino employee was shot.

Operators angry about lack of communication

To date, many operators of betting shops and casinos have still not received official notification as to whether they can continue to operate or whether they will have to close. As a result, many gambling establishments in the Hanseatic city of Bremen have been in a state of crisis for some time. Likewise, many employees are in the dark as to whether or not they will be able to keep their jobs.

At the moment it looks as if only about 30 of Bremen's former 120 casinos will remain. If this happens, up to 700 jobs will be lost in the city.

Image source: https://pixabay.com/de/photos/bremen-marktplatz-blaue-stunde-6557996/